Jackson is a junior at Roosevelt University, where she is majoring in international studies with a minor in economics. Life hasn’t exactly gotten easier: In addition to school, Jackson works two jobs, at a restaurant and a financial management company, and takes care of her brother and her mother.

The country used to celebrate people like her.

2) THE $13,000 RAISE: MOVING

Want to live longer? Move out of poor neighborhoods, APM’s Marketplace reveals. “Moving from a high poverty neighborhood into a lower poverty neighborhood increases your happiness by about as much as an increase in earnings of about $13,000 a year,” a researcher says.

Last night in Texas, cheerleaders raised a giant banner touting Jesus for the players of the junior varsity football team to run through at the start of the game. That’s the way it’s always been in Kountze. But now there’s a court fight.

The church where an elderly parishioner destroyed an aging fresco of Jesus while trying to “restore” it, is now making money off the artwork. In four days, the church has made $2,600 by charging tourists to see it. That’s more than it made with the original. That presents a dilemma for church officials: Should they try to restore the art to its former non-moneymaking condition or chase the cash? Oh, and the woman who did the deed wants a cut of the action.

5) HOW WAS YOUR SUMMER?

Another instant classic from Leif Enger…

Today is the last full day of summer.

Bonus I: A goat at a petting zoo appeared to be drowning. The human was busy filming the drowning goat, so a pig showed him what common sense looks like:

Bonus II: In Massachusetts yesterday, a one-legged soccer player scored a goal for his high school squad…

Daily Circuit (9-12 p.m.) – First hour: The Friday roundtable segment. As protests continue in the Middle East over an online video that mocked the Prophet Muhammad, our panel will look at the debate over art and free expression, and what happens when art provokes violence.

Second hour: In 2005, a group of anonymous donors in Kalamazoo, Michigan announced that they would pay in state college tuition for every student who graduated from the district’s high schools – regardless of grades, family income or disciplinary record. For the small industrial town, the move has allowed thousands of kids a chance at college who would have never had it before, and has kept families in the district who would have otherwise moved. Is the Promise a model that could be implemented elsewhere to help kids get to college, and how does keeping families rooted in districts improve smaller towns?

Third hour: Melting Arctic sea ice.

MPR News Presents (12-1 pm): The first of four programs from the “Civil Conversations Project” from “On Being with Krista Tippett.” Guests: Jim Daly of Focus on the Family and Gabe Lyons of “Q.”

Talk of the Nation (1-2 p.m.) – Can government bans fight obesity? Join Ira Flatow for a look at New York’s controversial soda ban. Plus, the shocking reality of food waste in America.

All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) - Arefa is the name of one of Afghanistan’s children wounded by war. She was badly burned because of an I-E-D blast three years ago. This summer, she was taken to California for surgery. The six-year-old has made solid progress — and will soon head back to her family in Afghanistan. NPR will have her story.

About the blogger

Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts where he was vice president of programming for Berkshire Broadcasting Company. Previously, he was an editor at the RKO Radio network in New York, and WHDH Radio in Boston. He is the founder of the MPR News’ website.